Amberglass
by Lady Zenoka
Summary: He's not used to company. So when a strange animal finds him in the dark recesses of a backwoods bar parking lot, he's not sure what life now holds. LoganXOC. Disclaimer: I've never read the comics, so I apologize for any and all mistakes.
1. Chapter 1

_Mkay, yay, new story! My muse has a tendency to manifest itself at random times, so this was written in Calculus class the other day. Um, I really like the tentative plot line I have for the story, so I'm going to do my best to keep up with regular postings._

_**Disclaimer: **I've never read/seen any of the comics, so I apologize for any and all mistakes. Also, I haven't seen the movies in a little while, most of which this will be based off of (though slightly AU) so if I make mistakes, please, point them out. I'd love to know, and I'll most likely go back and change it if it's a major mistake. Marvel owns any and all characters, the only thing that's mine is Riley._

_On a seperate note, I'll try and make the chapters long, this one ended up being something of an intro/teaser thing? I'm not sure, but it just seemed the perfect cut off, though it was really short._

* * *

The stench invaded his senses, the trashy bar an assault on even a normal man's. The cold, dank atmosphere and the stink of old beer and vomit. It's his life. The man is used to the cold, the stink, the pain. It's his life. There isn't anything he can do about it, and he is resigned to it. It's his life. There are others here, though he doesn't acknowledge them, any more then they acknowledge him. He is nothing, a ghost, a spirit, vapor. Just a man, who can't even remember who he is. There is loss, and there is suffering. It's his own, and he can smell it. Who is he really? Logan is but a name, the soul lays twisted in deep, dark corners of the recesses of his mind. He doesn't care anymore. There is nothing to care about.

This place is merely a stopover; long enough to drink, fight, and maybe find a woman for a night. Logan sighed, and scrubbed a hand through his hair. Answers to his past weren't going to suddenly manifest themselves, but he didn't know what he wanted from life. All he knew was this. The solid rhythm of punches, the cool slide of liquor down his throat, and the breathy little moans of a woman. He parked away from everyone else, near the edge of the snowy forest. The engine rumbled, and was silent. For a long moment, Logan stared into the darkness of the trees, and he thought he saw two pinpricks of light. Eyes? But when he looked closer, they were gone.

* * *

It was like any other night, in any other bar. He was half drunk, staggering a little bit, but still coherent and conscious. Logan stopped short of the vehicle, blinking. He's sure he's much, much drunker then he thought. It isn't possible that a snow leopard had curled up beneath the driver's door. It looks half-starved and broken, and when he came closer, Logan saw that its back leg was broken, and the blood stained the snow. Something woke it up, and the massive head turned to look at him. Almost… pleading? It staggered to its feet, and a low whine escaped the beast. His heart went out to it. He couldn't help it. She, he decided it was a she though he didn't know why, looked so helpless. And being half feral himself, he rather understood.

Slowly extending one hand, Logan approached the snow leopard. She just stared at him with forlorn eyes, and when he gently placed a hand on top of her head, she began to purr. A reluctant grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "There, you're not so bad, are you girl?" He said softly. She mewed, like a house cat, only deeper. "Ima brace that leg of yours, is that what you want darlin'?" He said, moving the back of the truck. She laboriously followed, limping and letting out a small sound of pain as she went. Logan opened the doors, and searched through the room until he found a rather stout piece of wood, and some soft cloth as well as a roll of twine. She was waiting for him.

It was newly broken, so luckily it hadn't begun to heal improperly. Logan did his best to guide the two pieces together gently as he could. She whined softly, but didn't fight him. Once he'd strapped the board to the broken leg, twine wrapped in cloth so as not to rub against the skin, Logan expected her to leave. He was surprised to find that she jumped into the back, careful not to land on superficial wounds, and curled up on the floor. Her amber eyes looked at him with what looked like relief and thanks reflected in them, and proceeded to rest her head gently on massive paws. She eyed him carefully, as if expecting him to do the same. _Bedtime_ she seemed to be saying. _Go to sleep. _With a soft laugh, Logan shut the door, and climbed in behind the wheel. Gently reclining back in the chair, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: **I've never read/seen any of the comics, so I apologize for any and all mistakes. Also, I haven't seen the movies in a little while, most of which this will be based off of (though slightly AU) so if I make mistakes, please, point them out. I'd love to know, and I'll most likely go back and change it if it's a major mistake. Marvel owns any and all characters, the only thing that's mine is Riley/Amber._

_So, the way this story so far seems to be writing itself is through short, brief little snapshots. Once I really get into the plot, I think maybe the chapters will pick up a little bit, but for now, this 'snapshot' mode seems to work well, or at least I think it does. Um, so let me know what you think about it.  
_

* * *

Sunlight peeked in through the truck's windshield, and Logan groggily opened his eyes. Something tickled under his nose, and he raised a hand to swat it away, only to encounter what felt like a tail. It whipped back towards the passenger seat, and he quickly turned his head towards the motion. The snow leopard from the previous night sat pristinely on the seat, though her braced leg stuck awkwardly out to the side. A small laugh escaped the man, though he stifled it quickly. While there wasn't much the leopard could do that he couldn't heal and wouldn't hurt him, those claws could still do some serious damage that he wasn't anxious to have to wait around while it healed.

Amber eyes watched him, slightly wary, but mostly curious. Logan wasn't sure what to make of this creature. The leopard was clearly wary of him, but at the same time, it was almost as if she was resigned to rely on him, as if she sensed that she probably would not be able to survive well on her own. What he really wanted to know was what she was doing here. Snow Leopards were native to Asia, and Canada was pretty damn far from the mountains of that continent. There'd been nothing about an escape from a zoo, and even if there had been, there weren't any zoos nearby. The far reaches of British Columbia, almost over the border in Alaska, wasn't exactly the type of place you'd find a zoo. Or a snow leopard for that matter, yet here she was.

He decided to simply drop the matter. Where'd she'd come from wasn't really that important anyway. She didn't seem interested in hurting him, that much was clear, and Logan really didn't know what he was going to do. Frankly, he was reluctant to do anything. Something in him identified with the injured feline, and he felt sorry for the big cat. He knew what it was like to be feral yet caged, unable to run as you please. And if he forced the cat away, there was no guarantee she'd survive. She wouldn't be able to hunt with that leg. It was more then he identified with the feline, he recognized something of a kindred spirit with the carnivore.

He knew what it was like to want your freedom. To have something holding you back from fully being able to get what it is you want.

"You need a name darlin'." Logan mused aloud to himself. "What do you think of Snow?" A low growl emanated from the leopard. "No, didn' think so." He chuckled. He glanced at his new passenger again. "Amber?" She purred softly, and a small grin creased his face. "Amber it is then."

* * *

Another night, another bar. It had been a week since the injured snow leopard Amber had found her way into Logan's life, and it was almost as if she had always been there. He found himself thinking of her as fondly as one would a dog, bringing any extra food he didn't eat back for the feline, and things like that. It was comforting in a way. While he'd always been a loner his entire life, at times he did like company. And the company of an animal wasn't the same as the company of a human. They didn't require any of the 'touchy-feely' crap that woman did, or the constant need for attention. It was comforting having her around. And at times… her intelligence seemed almost human.

Amber could tell when something was up, more so then most animals. And when he spoke to her, it seemed as if she understood, especially if she responded. It wasn't all the time, almost as if she didn't want him getting wise to her act. And it was most evident in the clear, obvious intelligence shining lucid in the glittering amber eyes of hers. Logan didn't know what to think, so frankly he didn't think about it.

He'd drunk a little too much over the course of the night, having fought and won, as usual. He was staggering quite a bit, his accelerated healing process still not caught up, working on the broken wrist he'd acquired during one of his fights. But the brother of the man he'd fought apparently hadn't liked the way the fight turned out.

A body rammed into him, and Logan tumbled to the ground. The heavy weight of the other man was nothing to him, but in his highly inebriated mind, Logan couldn't do more then struggle beneath him. A low growl came from somewhere to his right, and the movement from the other man ceased. A louder growl this time, and the man quickly stood and backed away. Logan blearily looked up, and saw the white form of Amber, outlined by light from the neon bar sign. From where he lay, he couldn't see her braced leg, which meant the other man couldn't either. A snarl escaped the leopard, and she advanced on him, putting herself between Logan and the other man. "You're crazy man, keeping that for a pet!" He yelled, and turned to flee. More snarls followed his departure.

Amber limped over to Logan, cold nose pushing against his face. With a small smile, he reached up to ruffle her fur, and rather loud purr emanated from the big cat. _You're welcome._ She seemed to be saying. Like he said, smarter then your average cat. The mutant hauled himself clumsily off the ground, and ungracefully to his feet. "You know darlin'," He drawled. "I'm mighty glad you found your way to me and not some other scumbag 'round these type of joints." He drawled slowly. A laughing sort of growl escaped Amber, almost as if she agreed. But then... she was just a cat.


End file.
